Apparatus for indicating and recording the speed of ships.



, A.J.GO0PER. APPARATUS FOB. INDIGATING AND RECORDING 'THE SPEED OFSHIPS.

Patented May 20, 1913.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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UN TED STATES PATENT oninon.

ALFRED .rornme coornn, or ro'rLA'Nn BAY, ISLE or wzenr, n'nennn'n.

arrnnarus non mmcnri'ne'nnn RECORDING ran spanner si-nrs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma 20, i913.

' Application filed May 11, 1912. Serial No. 696,501.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED JUPLING Coornn, asubject of the King of England residing at Totland Bay, in the Isle oWight, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in orConnected with Apparatus for Indicating and Recording the Speed ofShips, of which the following is. a specification.

Thislinvention has reference to apparatus or instruments for indicatingat every moment the rate of speed at which a ship is sailing, or beingpropelled, and of'obtaining a permanent record or log of the differentspeeds acquired on a voyage by a ship, and the times at which an) andall speeds existed; and it relates more particularly to such apparatuswherein a spring controlled movable plate or device is employed, foroperating a registering means whereby the differences of the reactingforces of the water on the plate are registered; and. the pri- -maryobject of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind Which isrelativel durable; is or may be constantin action; is simple, and notliable order; and is enerally well'fitted to the ich it is intended.

In speed indicating or recording a paratus under this invention, thehorizonta pres sure of water against a plain surface or body, which iszontal direction, is utilized as the active force for effecting theindication or. recording. In the apparatus, a piston, disposed andworking in-a cylinder, is emplo ed as the surface. or body moved.through t e Wa-v ter: and it is placed in such a way generally in ornearthe bows of, and within the hull of the shi or. vessel, that thehorizontal pressure 0 the water actuating the piston is not disturbed oreffected by the pitch or rollin of the vessel, or by other causes suchas hydrostatic pressure. The piston is mow able backward and forward inthe line of direction of movement of the ship, and works in connectionwith aspring or like resistance', and a gage or indicator, so that whenthis resistance is compressed or put under strain, a certain distance ora certain de gree, the speed at which the piston-and the.

ShlPiS passing through the water, or forced against it, is shown on thegage or indicator in knots per hour, or otherrrate.

The invention will. 'be further described in connection with theaccompanying draw- '1s an lllustration of a I after referred to.

easily to get'siut of moving through it in a horisides of the plston,

ings which show one'arra-ngement of apparatus adapted to act accor'dinto it.

In this drawing, Figure 1 1s an elevation showing the several partsOffltll' apparatus; and Fig 2 is a plan of the portion of it shown inthe upper part of Fig. 1. Fig. 3

modification hereinferring to the drawings 1 is a piston which is actedupon by the water, it being placed in a cylinder 2, disposed'sa in thebow or other convenient art, an within the skin of the ship, of w ich .3represents the stem or late, as the case may be. It isplaced well elowthe level of the water, so as to be always immersed when the ship ispltching or rolling. The piston l is fixed on the end of the piston rod4, which projects through the inner end 5 of the cylinder 2, and has across. head 6 on it,-'which is connected to the cylinder end 5 bysprings 7, against which the pressed, and which ten to move the pistonback again in the direction of travel of the ship. The piston rests andslides on a guide 8. it will be noted that the cylinder 2 issubstantially larger than the piston 1, so that the water has, freeaccess around and behind the piston 1, which balances the force andmakes the piston a differential measurer of horizontal pressures. Thehydrostatic pressure due to depth acts on both This effect is especiallyserviceable in over coming the complications of pressure in connect-ionwith apparatus of this kind, due to the varying drafts of water of theship, on account of pitching and differences of 0 mg.

Around the entrance aperture 9' on the front end of the cylinder 2, is aring 10, and the water is directed horizontally on to the piston by thisring, the entrance aperture 9 being preferably of about the samediameter as the piston. By the use of th ering 10, or its equivalent, infront of the plston face 1, it is protected from all pressures exceptingthe horizontal pressure due to the ship s speed, and to the dept-h ofimmersion.-

With regard to the recording apparatus, in the case shown, this may beassumed to be on the bridge of the vessel, or in some other place awayfrom the piston or actuating portion of the apparatus. In this case,between the piston apparatus and the recordin apparatus, there is anintermediate circuit and is therefore nullified.

dpiston in action is 16, and which operates in connection with one sidewith insulating material, as shown making and breaking mechanism foroperating electro-magnets, or solenoids, in the recording mechanismproper. This mechanism consists of a toothed rack 12 attached 5 to theend of the piston rod 4, and working on a pinion 13, fixed on a spindle14, carrying a large toothed wheel 15, which serves as a contact makingwheel, to which current is supplied by a suitable source of electricity,I

The speed may be also adapted to be indicated by a pointer, in additionto the recording mechanism, or dial.

A relief pipe is provided on the cylin= der 2, behind the piston 1, bywhich the water behind the piston, or some of it, when it is moved backby the piston, due to the pressure on the face of it, can be forced outof the cylinder. The discharge mouth of the pipe 30 has Over it a shield31, which directs the water discharged at right angles, and prevents theresistance of the sea so acting upon it, to prevent its discharge. Whendirected toward thebow of the ship, this outlet or discharge end of thepipe 30 ;-must be above the principal opening 9, in order to provide afree relief; but in some cases this pipe 30 might be taken up above thewater sea level on the ship, in which case,

other toothed-contact wheels 17 respectively connected by circuit wireswith the electromagnets 20 of the recording mechanism.

The teeth of the wheel 17 are provided on by the darkened parts, therest of the wheel being metal; while the teeth of the wheel 15 arespaced widely apart so that when they are in contact with one side ofthe teeth of a 20 wheel 17 they are out of contact with the other side;that is, when the wheel 15 is, tector device; and the water would thenbe moved in one direction by the action of the allowed to overflow, butthis flow is not used water and the piston 1, its teeth will be in 1 asa measurer of speed; also the relief pipe contact with the insulation ofthe teeth of may be led out at the ships side.

25 the right hand wheel 17 so that no circuit A valve 32 may be providedon the pipe or current can flow through this wheel tothe 30 for shuttingofi water, if necessary; an right hand electro-magnet 20; while the byconstricting the area of the pipe 30, the teeth which are working incontact with the action of the apparatus can be retarded or left handheel 1'7 will be acting upon the j regulated, so that plunging or divingeffects 30 metallic portion of these teeth, and so a cir- I may beobviated. Conversely, when the cuit is made between the source ofcurrent speed decreases, and the pressure on the. supply, 16, and theleft hand electro-magnet, piston 1 is diminished, and is moved outandthat solenoid will be actuated. Sprin ward by the springs 7, the pipe 30serves to contact arms 18 act in connection with teeth feed water to thecylinder 2 behind the pis- 35 of star wheels 19 on disks or the like, onthe ton. spindle of the wheels 17, and hold these A slightly modifiedarrangement of the wheels 17 in certain positions in relation to intermeiate mechanism is shown ,in Fig. 3. theteeth of the wheel 15, so thatthe con :In this case, the wheel 15 has simply V- tacts required areaccomplished. The efiect shaped teeth, and the contact spring arms 40 oithe circuits made and broken as described, 1 18, the V-sha d ends ofwhich 0 rate in is that the magnets 20 acting upon armaconnection witit, have at these en ,metal tures on the end of levers 21,-hin ed at 22,on one side, and insulation on the other, the see Fig. 2 are pulled downwhen t e current 'latter being on the to as shown by the is passedthrough the coil of one or the other dark portion. The shaped ends, and1 I 45 magnets, and t is movement through pawls wheel, are so arrangedthat when the wheel 1 23, and right and left hand ratchet wheels isturned in one direction, the teeth will act 24, fixed on the spindle 25,rotates this 1 on the metallic portion of the V-end of one spin l in nor h r i ,.acc rd- -s ring contact arm 18*, and on the insulaingly asthe piston is moved'm by the tionof the other; and-the circuit wires.be-

50 pressure of the water, or outward by the iing connected with thesespring arm as in 11-5 springs 7 and this transmits motion too. 1connection with the spring arms 18 in Fig. style or pen 26, operatingupon a sheet of 1,-the circuits of the difierent electro-magpaper or thelike on the driving drum 27,. nets will be controlled and supplied, as mthrough a spur wheel 28, operating on a this case. The V-ends of thecontact springs 55 slidable toothed rack 29, carrying this style 18 arenot diametricall opposite in rela- 26; so that as the wheel 28 isrevolved in tion to the axis of the w eel 15; that is they one or otherdirection, the style or pen-26 are un ual say, by half a tooth distance.will bemoved longitudinally, forward and This ma es certain that, if thewheel 15 adbackward and will thus mark and record on a vanees, sa '20teeth-which equals say 5 so the paper on the drum 27, the variat ons of"knots-an then slacks back a tooth, the s eed of the ship. The drum27-isdriven at" knot will be deducted on the recorder; othera uniform rate ya i e pinfilsprmg -wise the" knots advance will be recorded as motor 33wh ch rotates 1ts spln e. By 5} knots,in lace of 5 knots from 4}. usingascale on the sheet, it will indicate the As rega s the use of theinvention in 65 s eed ofv the vessel at every instant of time. case ofships of slow speed, say upto 12 r it would of course require no shieldor pro- 85 g a daily record,

e coasters, the electrical anism may be dispensed with, and the speedgear or movement of the piston rack 12-may simply connected by simpletoothed and beveled wheels or other gear, dicator pointer or the like,which would be arranged to indicate ona scale or on a dial, at aconvenient place the .speed of knots,

corresponding with the different positions of the iston.

at is claimed is:-

1. In apparatus for indicatingor recording. the speedof ships, a tube orcylinder placed within the skm of the ship, and in ree water; a pistonarranged within the tube,

aperture in itsforward end, or directing the pressure of water on theiston; springs adapted to move the piston in the opposite direction tothe water; an

indicator; and means operated by the piston for operating the indicator;substantially as described.

3- In apparatus to an in communication at one end with the water;

for indicating or recordg the speed of ships, the combination of apiston, a tube or cylinder of larger diameter than the piston and openat one .end toreceive the pressure of the water, a sprin or springsadapted to move the piston in the opposite direction to the water; arelief ipe at the after end of the cylinder to a ow water behind thepiston to escape; an indicator; and means operated by the piston foroperating the forth.

4. In apparatus for ing the speed of ships, a tube or cylinder placedwithin the skin of the ship, and in communication at one end with theand a piston arranged within the tube, and movablelongitudinallytherein, and arranged and adapted to cause the resistant pressure on thewaterjd'ue to speed or horizontal movement to act on the face of same,and the diameter of which is substantially less than that of thecylinder; an electrically toothed wheel contact making and breakingmechanism, wherein the teeth of the different contact at bne side, andoppositely, in the two sets, and recording or indicating mechanism 0erated by the electrical mechanism in the one direction, described. I Intestimony-whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses;

I ALFRED Witnesses: 4

Hanvnr J. Bownnstnocx,

GHAnLns PACK.

indicating or recordor the other; substantially as J OPLING COOPER.

indicator; substantially as set wheels are insulated

